Opening arguments began in Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' immigration-related lawsuit against President Joe Biden's administration.
DeSantis alleges the Biden administration allowed thousands of migrants, many of whom ended up in Florida, into the U.S. each month by ignoring policies to detain them, Politico reported.
On Monday, a federal judge in Pensacola, Florida, heard opening arguments in the case.
Florida officials insist the migrants cost the state money — costs to satisfy needs in prisons, schools, and the health care system — and threaten public safety.
"[The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)] has systematically diminished resources for detention," James Percival, Florida's deputy attorney general of legal policy, said in his opening statements, Politico reported.
Percival also alleged the administration's rationale for releasing aliens is changing, adhering to a "desire to release" rather than detain, Politico said. He added that there were rapid changes in policy, which caused a surge of migrants at the border.
Administration attorneys, though, argued that the White House hasn't created new policies leading to the release of migrants, and said the border crisis has been going on for years.
The state of Florida sued the Biden administration in September 2021 over its "illegal" catch-and-release policies at the U.S.-Mexico border. The lawsuit was filed against DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and others.
"This is absolutely a crisis, it's a crisis of the administration's own making," DeSantis said during a press conference announcing the suit. "Yes, this is their primary responsibility, the federal government, but the states, we are the ones that are affected by this. And we have to be able to fight back."
DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed an amended complaint in February saying the administration's latest immigration policy is unlawful.
The complaint stated that federal immigration officials are helping migrants to resettle around the U.S. instead of commencing immigration court proceedings of migrants caught at the border.
The DHS twice asked for the case to be dismissed but the requests were denied by Judge T. Kent Wetherell, an appointee of former President Donald Trump.
Monday's proceedings included a video deposition by Customs and Border Protection Chief Raul Ortiz, who said that the southern border is in crisis, and the situation is unsafe for both the migrants and citizens, Politico.
Ortiz said the recent migrant increase partly was due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) no longer housing families together at family residential centers.
He added that with ICE only allowed to detain families for up to 72 hours, migrants then are admitted into the U.S. if they do not pose a public threat, Politico reported.
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